Durga's Golden Flower
by IsabellaW
Summary: Dakota Wright's last thought was to help a group of people break a curse over the holidays. But as curse breaking, school work and love get in the way, will she be able to handle it while finding out who her parents really are?
1. A business trip

_A business trip_

My father kissed me gently on my forehead and walked away. I smiled and waved him a goodbye. I let out a breath _I'm finally on my own. _Then fear struck me; how was I supposed to find his business partner? My father had left for a business trip, nothing weird about that. He's always gone off business trips. This time, he wanted me to stay with his business partner. Who was _somewhere _around in this building.

I pushed my dark brown hair over my right shoulder. _Don't freak Dakota_ I told myself and shifted my weight to my left leg. I bit my lip as I tried to recall my father's words. "_You will be staying with my business associate, look for him in the front of the airport he should be waiting there at 11:30" _I blinked, still frustrated that he didn't trust me to stay by myself anywhere. I walked swiftly over to the front of the building, dodging crowds of people with suitcases and children. It was unusually crowded in the airport this morning, and I couldn't help but wish it wasn't the holidays.

While my friends were with their families, celebrating, I was here searching in a crowd of people for my father's business associate. _Why_, l_ucky me. _I reached the front of the building and walked out. I instantly shied away from the sun's rays. _This is what I _hate_ about 'Pure Michigan' _"Dakota!" I heard a voice. I was snapped out of my thoughts and looked up, searching for the person making the noise.

A much older man, far away from my father's age approached me. I instantly wanted to take my mace out and scream stranger danger. But he seemed kind and didn't look like he wanted to do anything to me except help me. "Ah, you are Dakota, aren't you?" He asked me, his voice had a slight Indian accent to it. I smiled and nodded "Are you my father's business associate?" I asked like a child. He nodded and smiled "Come, we have a long trip to go."

I slid into the passenger's seat of a black interior leather van. It was silver on the outside and caught my eye, even though it wasn't out of the ordinary. "Have you ever been to India?" He asked as he started the car. I shook my head. I'd been to many places all over the world, so many I can hardly name them. My father and I started traveling around when I was about six. It was right after mom died in a car accident with a drunk driver. In the twelve years I'd been traveling around; I'd seen many things that others wouldn't. I know five different languages including Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, and of course English.

"Dakota, did you hear what I said?" He asked, a smile coming over his lips. "Oh. I'm sorry! I was just thinking." I said, feeling my face go warm "Could you repeat that?" He nodded "I'm Mr. Kadam, as you know I am your father's business associate and you will be staying with us." I smiled and nodded then paused. _Wait…_Us? I looked at him "What do you mean _us?" _I asked, if there were going to be other people there I just pray they're not one of those 'I sell dope' people.

"Oh, no need to worry, Dakota." He said with a smile "These three are very friendly." He added._ Oh no Three? "_Mr. Kadam, where exactly are we going?" I said, keeping my eyes on the road. The sun was very bright today, and it made me feel hot and uncomfortable in the leather seats of the car. Especially since it was black, this only absorbed the color. Making it worse for Mr. Kadam and I.

"India." He replied simply. My mouth gaped open. _India? _I thought. _Thank god I know Hindi. _"So, the ride's going to be long." I said under my breath, he could obviously hear what I said and he laughed. "So Mr. Kadam, tell me about you." I put my elbows on my knees and my hands on my chin then blinked my eyes. "Well…" He began.

I enjoyed hearing about Mr. Kadam's life story. He thought he wasn't that interesting, but I can listen to _any _story and be interested in it. I guess that was one of my good quirks. When Mr. Kadam was done he yawned. It was already getting dark, and we needed to make it to the _other _airport before the sun came up again. Just when I thought the ride would never end, we pulled up into a large airport building. I pulled my small messenger bag over my shoulder and fixed myself up.

When we walked inside, Mr. Kadam talked to the person behind the desk while I picked up little pamphlets of the different countries. I picked up the one of India and quickly put it in my bag. I hadn't noticed, but we were in Florida now. _So that's why it took about twelve hours. _I thought and laughed at myself. I was always the one to underestimate the power of the car.

_ First class_

We boarded the plane with about a million other passengers. I groaned _we're going to be crowded. _But instead of going to Business class (second class) we went to First class. I blinked, Mr. Kadam was doing way too much for me and I felt bad. I'm just glad my father hadn't told him to come to my house to pack my bags, then that'd be _too _much. Mr. Kadam took us into First class and we sat near the front, he let me have the window seat since he guessed I would like it.

After we were settled down Mr. Kadam started up the conversation. "Dakota, you never told me about _you."_ He said, leaning back in his chair. "Well, my life isn't all that interesting, honestly." He raised a skeptical eyebrow, he obviously didn't believe me. "Well, I know your eyes haven't always been that color, have they?" I almost forgot about my eyes. When I was younger they were just a normal dark brown until I became older and they turned hazel, to blue, then to a vibrant green. It stopped there, but every now and again it would look gray.

"Oh well, when I was younger they were brown then hazel, blue, and then finally this green." I said, letting out a breath. He smiled and nodded "I've never seen such one of kind eyes. They looked hazel in the car, but now they look emerald. Care to explain?" I shrugged "Well, it's always been like that. I think it's the different lighting." I replied simply.

A flight attendant's voice was heard over the intercom; "Welcome to the Delta airplane, dinner will be served shortly." I leaned back, looking out the window and at the beautiful sky. The large clouds looked like pounds of un-dyed cotton candy. I ran my fingers through hair and sighed. I was lucky I get to fly in First class, and go to India. Whoever gets to do _that? _Even though it was on the holidays, I was lucky that I even had the opportunity to go to India.

The First class seats were very comfortable. I'd land for this any day. Mr. Kadam had already fallen asleep after reading his book. I remembered how much I wanted to read my book right now, but I didn't have it. I sighed and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was asleep.


	2. A Prophecy

_The mansion_

When the plane landed it took another couple hours to drive to the house. I thought I had jet-lag or something since I fell asleep in the car once more. Mr. Kadam stopped the car and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I was staring up at the biggest house I'd ever seen in my life. "Mr. Kadam," I said in almost a whisper "do you own this house?" I heard Mr. Kadam's light laugh before he led me to the door. "I'm afraid I don't, but my boss does. He's quite a rich man, isn't he?" I nodded with my mouth still open in shock.

Mr. Kadam opened the door and gosh was that door _big. _"Kishan, Ren, Nilima please come meet our new guest." Mr. Kadam called; his words echoed throughout the large house. Feet walked down the stairs at a fast pace and I felt knees buckle when I saw the two most beautiful men I've ever seen in my life. "Ren, Kishan, Nilima, as you know this is Dakota. She'll be staying here and helping us out a bit." Mr. Kadam nodded at the three. Nilima was an attractive young woman that looked about a year older than me. She smiled and reached out a hand and I shook it. "It'll be great to have another woman in the house." She added as she let my hand go. I reached out and shook Ren's hand; he was a lighter bronze than Kishan and had cobalt blue eyes. I could see behind his eyes and witness mixed emotions; he was distracted, distressed, and unhappy yet he managed to smile.

I shifted uneasily and shook Kishan's hand. He was a bit more relaxed, and sure of something. "Welcome, Dakota, do you have a nickname?" Kishan said, his deep voice was like a sweet melody. These boys were swoon worthy. I pulled my hair behind my ear and shook my head. "My middle name is Indi, some people call me that." I really wasn't a fan of my whole name. Dakota Indi Wright, it just doesn't go together. Kishan smiled and nodded. "Ren, would you help Miss Dakota with her bags?" Ren hesitantly nodded as I pulled the messenger bag from my shoulders. He held it tightly and gestured to the stairs "Follow me."

I walked behind him in silence until we reached a violet colored room. It's walls had an intricate white floral design that stood out against the dark color. Ren set the bag on the bed, right on the large white flower that was in the center. "This is your room," He began his speech "That's your own bathroom… There are books in the library I guess I'll show you that… And the Kitchen is down stairs." He pointed to everything he told me about. I nodded and inspected my room as he spoke. "And dinner will be served in an hour. Have fun." Ren muttered before turning around and walking away.

I watched as he left, before sneaking out of my room and finding the library. The fact that the house has a library on the inside intrigued me, I love books and I've read _The Stand _by Stephen King in one week. I was reading Moby Dick, but I left it at home. I strolled into the library casually and marveled at its size. Books were on shelves towers high, large books, small books, and every kind of book you could think have been right there. My mouth dropped open and my body itched to read them all. I practically skipped forward and skimmed the tip of my fingers across the books titles. _Romeo and Juliet_ I've never read a Shakespeare book, so I picked it up and continued to walk.

I found two more books that I was interested in reading. Both about mythology; Hindi and Greek to be precise. I figured reading Romeo and Juliet would be quicker, so I started with it first. I was at page one hundred when my eyelids began to droop. I turned another page and yawned, the love was thick and a bit sickening to read about. I set the book down and picked up the Hindi mythology. I opened it and a flurry of papers fell out. I picked the papers up and read them; they were in English. '_Durga's Golden flower will be as sharp as a sword, her knowledge wide spread. She will be a wise girl, and will be able to help you with the quest. Without her, the brothers wouldn't be able to complete the quest.' _I thought about what the note meant. Durga was an Indian goddess; I knew that from the class I took, but Durga's Golden flower? I've never heard about anything like that.

Suddenly, the library door opened and Ren came trotting in. I swiftly put the notes back inside the book and closed it before opening Romeo and Juliet once more. "Dakota, it seems you've lost track of time. Dinner is ready." He said, leaning against the frame of the door. I swallowed and grabbed the books heading back to the bookshelf. "Do you mind if I take Romeo and Juliet to my room, I am enjoying reading it?" I asked and held on to the book. Ren hesitantly nodded and kept the door open for me as we headed out. I decided I was going to ask them who Durga's golden flower was, and why she was important to Durga and these brothers they were talking about.


	3. A decision

_A Decision _

The delicious smells coming from the kitchen made my mouth water. I only ate breakfast and that was hours ago. Ren said he'd leave me to wash up for dinner and he was in a hurry. He also let me know that I could take as long as I liked. _Was he trying to avoid me? _I thought as I combed out my hair, completely distracted. I washed my face and hands, then took off my pajamas and searched for an appropriate outfit. Something nice and casual, but not screaming 'Hi, I'm trying to be cute!' I pulled out my black shirt that was decorated with flowers and had long comfortable sleeves along with black jeans. I moved to the mirror on the wall and twirled in satisfaction. As I silently walked down the stairs with my hair slung over my shoulder I heard whispers and familiar voices. I recognized the calmest one; Mr. Kadam's. But there was one that was upset… _very_ upset. I slyly slid beside the doorway and listened in.

"Mr. Kadam, we _need_ to save Kelsey before Lokesh does the unthinkable. I don't _care_ if she's Durga's Golden anything! Lokesh has Kelsey and she's in danger what don't you understand about that?" _Ren… Why was he speaking to Mr. Kadam in such a disrespectful way? _I shifted uneasily and listened in. "Ren, I know you're stressed; but Kelsey can handle herself. As long as we're praying every night for her safety Durga will protect her. We just have to be patient; she is a smart girl and can handle Lokesh." Mr. Kadam replied with a soothing calmness that seemed to make Ren calm down.

Ren sighed, "At least tell me when we can tell Dakota who she is." There was pleading evident in his voice. _Tell me who I am? _I blinked and began to put the pieces together in my head. "I promise to tell Miss Dakota that she is to help us on the quest. In the meantime you and Kishan may relax for a bit, possibly warm up for the journey ahead." Mr. Kadam shuffled out one of the doors, and then I heard Ren turn to my direction. I swiftly turned and walked into the kitchen.

The information I had gathered began to rush through my head. _Help them with what quest? _Somehow this was all related to the information from the book I had taken from the library. The brothers… That had to be Ren and Kishan. I was supposed to help them on the quest… But did that mean that I was Durga's Golden Flower? _No_. That was just Indian myth, wasn't it? It wasn't possible… Or was it? I shook the thoughts out of my head and grabbed a plate from the cabinet.

A hand touched my shoulder and I jumped in surprise. Behind me was a beautiful smile and golden eyes staring back at me. "I apologize; did I startle you, _Indi?"_ He said 'Indi' almost teasingly. "Uh, no it's fine." I said and flashed him a grin. I grabbed the spoon and dumped the fettuccine alfredo on my plate. I _loved_ pasta and especially bread. I reached for the bread and grabbed two pieces.

"Geez, Dakota, you sure can eat." Ren commented from behind me. _How the crap were they sneaking up on me?_ I giggled "Well I'm not really worried about my shape." I shrugged and began walking into the dining room. "I can see why." Kishan muttered as we reached the table. Right before we sat down, Mr. Kadam emerged from nowhere with Nilima. _Where did she go?_ I thought and watched as a rush of relief glittered in Ren's eyes.

"Miss Dakota," Mr. Kadam said with a smile "I would like you to join us in the peacock room so we may talk about why you're here." I did a mental 'gulp' like in those old cartoons and stood while grabbing my plate. We headed into the peacock room and it was in fact a peacock room. It was quiet beautiful. Mr. Kadam gestured to a seat across from a large couch where Ren, Kishan, and Nilima sat. Mr. Kadam sat in the plush chair beside me.

"You see, Miss Dakota, the brothers aren't exactly what you'd call… Normal men. They have a special ability… A curse you can call it." Mr. Kadam began and I guess once he said 'the brothers' my heart jumped out of my chest. "Kishan, would you care to demonstrate?" Kishan nodded obediently and stood from the couch.

Seconds before I was nervous, hours before I was clueless, now I was _terrified._ Kishan was turning into something. Black hair sprouted from his skin, his bones literally changed their shape, and animal like features began appearing. I couldn't hold it in anymore; I began to spit out unintelligent words. "HnngggHermmmughum!" I screamed and gripped the sides of my chair. Kishan swiftly trotted out, his black pelt slinking into the other room.

"Dakota, we didn't mean to scare you." Ren said, reaching out to stop the chair that was rocking back and forth now. It was a recliner… Now I know. I sucked in a loud breath "So, how long have they been able to… do that?"

"For 300 years. They were cursed by an evil sorcerer named Lokesh who happened to have a daughter that Kishan fell in love with. He killed his own daughter and has been trying to gather to amulet pieces which can be dangerous to _everyone._ We have been going on quests and breaking the curse with a girl named Kelsey," As Ren began to explain I slowly calmed down. "Where's Kelsey?" I asked my suspicion rose. _Was she dead? _

Ren hesitated before he said the thing that probably scared me the most "Lokesh wishes for Kelsey to be his wife and has taken her captive." I gulped. "_No, _you're lying… Am I on Punked or something? It just _isn't _possible… You can just… It's not…" I tried to make sense of everything I was hearing; It _couldn't_ be possible to be able to morph into tigers. Let alone go on these quest to break this 300 year old curse… It went against science and logic the two things I relied on to tell whether it was the truth or not.

"_Please,_ Miss Dakota, we need your help here. Without you we won't be able to complete the quest. We _need_ you here." Mr. Kadam pleaded with me, the desperation clear in his eyes.

_What was I going to do? I couldn't do this, no way. I was a simple normal girl, I'm not Durga's Golden flower or some type of 'chosen one' All of this had to be a misunderstanding… I could just say no… But would that be fair? _

_**Author note: **  
_

_**So so so sorry about posting this so late! I promise I'll try to be more active it's just that school work is getting in the way. :c  
**_

_**Anyways I am so happy that you guys like my stories, especially my consistent readers. 3  
**_

_**It means so much to me!  
**_

_**I left a little cliffhanger letting you decide whether Dakota will help them or let them find someone else.  
**_


	4. Before you go

_Before _you_ go…_

After contemplating my options I finally came up with the answer. "Yes…" I said in almost a whisper as I looked down at my feet. Mr. Kadam smiled happily and clapped his hands together, "Thank you, Miss Dakota, you are very brave." I swallowed and smiled at him. "But I'd kind of like to know what will happen to my family."

"Don't worry; Lokesh will not be after your family. It's only you and Kelsey he will want, and you have us to protect you." Mr. Kadam had replied confidently. His confidence rubbed off on me and my grin spread "When do I start?" Mr. Kadam chuckled softly "That's the spirit! We will be able to start in a couple days, however long it will take for you to train for the journey." I tilted my head to the right slightly "_Train?"_ Mr. Kadam nodded "Yes, Ren and Kishan will be helping you prepare for the tasks ahead. First, before we start anything we will go to Durga's temple for a gift specifically for you."

I felt special suddenly, as if I actually mattered to someone other than my dad.

I blinked my eyes open and smiled as I stared at the white wall above my bed. I yawned and stretched just as the door opened. Nilima shot me a sweet smile "Good morning, Dakota, I brought you breakfast. The Golden fruit prepared it for you." She made her way to me and set down a meal of French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. I grinned widely "Thank you Nilima. What's the Golden Fruit?" I questioned, feeling as dumb as a bat.

Nilima giggled when she saw my confused expression and then waved my question away "I'm sure my grandfather will explain everything to you this morning. You're going to the temple with the brothers." Excitement traveled through my body then all of a suddenly I felt queasy. "Oh yeah," I shifted uneasily "I'm not going to die… am I?" I muttered and heard her laugh. "Don't worry; the brothers are there to protect you." She replied and straightened a part of the bed. I bet I sounded like a naïve child. "Right, sorry for asking."

After finishing the best breakfast I ever had, I put on comfortable clothing which was a t-shirt saying 'I NY' and some light blue capris. I walked into the bathroom and pulled my hair into a tight ponytail then reached for my favorite body mist; _Peaches and cream. _I sprayed a reasonable amount on my skin and then inspected myself in satisfactory.

I walked down the stairs and a much more relaxed Ren was walking up the stairs before he shot me a smile. "Good morning, Dako-" He suddenly stopped and stared at me with a sad expression. "Ren?" I asked carefully, taking a step back. "Is that peaches and cream?" He asked like a sad puppy dog. I carefully nodded "Yes, why?" He reached out and grabbed my hand and then rubbed his thumb over my palm over and over again. "Kelsey used to smell the same way." He muttered and I watched as his shoulders slumped. I gasped and covered my mouth with my free hand "I'm so sorry Ren! I'll go get my strawberry one instead." I rushed up the stairs, my face flushed in embarrassment as I passed Kishan. He blinked for a moment before turning to me "Peaches and cream?"

"Sorry!" I said before going into my room and shutting the door. I quickly stripped off my clothes and hopped into the shower. I made sure to wash off the scent, once I was sure there was no possibility of Ren smelling the peaches and cream, I jumped out. I dried myself off and then wrapped the towel tightly around my body before searching for under garments and clothes.

I found a bra and underwear and then went off searching for my clothes. Suddenly the door creaked open and I froze. Slowly, like in one of those horror movies, I turned around to see who was standing in the doorway. _Kishan._ His face was straight and he was holding something in his hand. _What was that? A brush? _I swallowed hard, "Kishan…" I began and turned to him in my underwear and bra "Get out, please."

Kishan dropped whatever was in his hand, apologized, and then ran out of the room before shutting the door. I walked over and picked up the object. It was in fact a brush, and it looked kind of fancy. I set it down on my bed and then resumed what I was doing, trying to ignore the fact that my face looked like it had just been set on fire.

I had chosen to wear cream colored shorts and a reddish pink tank. It was simple and easy to move in. As I walked down the stairs with my hiking boots in one hand, I noticed Mr. Kadam talking to the brothers about something that seemed pretty important. Mr. Kadam's eyes adverted to me and he grinned "Ah, Miss Dakota, come join us. We are talking about the route the three of you shall take." Mr. Kadam nodded to the seat across from him that happened to be in between the two brothers.

I sat down and watched as Mr. Kadam continued his conversation, trying to ignore the fact that Kishan was slightly blushing. "Now, as I was saying," Mr. Kadam announced "We will be going to see Phet first." I blinked in confusion and Mr. Kadam smiled softly. "We'll explain that later." I nodded "Okay." I really did feel like an idiot when they spoke about their religion and journeys they went on.

Ren patted my leg gently before his attention was turned back to Mr. Kadam. "After we visit Phet we will meet with Durga in a hidden temple in a similar cave Ren and Kelsey traveled through. Except there are a lot more obstacles to tackle." He said matter of fact like. I nodded as he slide a piece of paper to me. On it was a map with a route sketched out with a red pen. It was actually very neat for free handed. I looked at it, took a mental picture, and then slid it to Kishan.

The paper was passed around and then returned back to Mr. Kadam. "I've decided that we could drive to Mumbai next week. How does that sound?"

**Author note:**

**I hate to flood you with all this writing, but I decided to give you as much of the story as I could before the weekend ends since I won't be able to write another chapter throughout the week.  
**

**I might possibly be able to write two to make it up to you guys. c;  
**

**thanks so much loyal readers!  
**


	5. Through the Jungle

_ Through the jungle_

It had been a week of training and preparing for the journey ahead. My bones were aching and my body was pleading for me to just give it a break, but I didn't say anything. I wanted them to know that I was prepared to help them on this quest and free the brothers. Speaking of the brothers; I had become more attached to them. The more time we spent together training and joking around the more we bonded. They were almost like real brothers to me by the end of the week, and the tension I had sensed between Ren and Kishan had seemed to fade away.

Tomorrow we'd head out to find Kelsey, and afterwards do whatever Mr. Kadam planned. I braided my hair and wrapped a blue small rubber band around the end. I couldn't help but wonder what Kelsey looked like. _If she has these brothers chasing after her she must look like a god. _I mused and walked down the stairs swiftly. Ren had chosen a cobalt blue button up shirt and black shorts that were seemingly comfortable. Mr. Kadam smiled warmly "Good morning, Dakota, your bags are packed and they're by the door. We only have a few minutes so I'm afraid you'll have to eat quickly." He handed me a container of assorted fruits and a plastic fork. I forked a strawberry and wandered into the house, looking for the brothers.

A large white tiger was pacing back and forth with anticipation. His large cobalt blue eyes landed only for a mere second before continuing. "Come on, Mr. Kadam wants us to hurry up." Kishan's voice called as he raced out the door to the car. I stuffed the last piece of pineapple and threw away the plastic container and fork. I had to literally chase after Ren who went sprinting to the car, along with Kishan. His black pelt made him almost invisible in the shadows.

I slid into the Jeep; the front seat was spacey and pleasant. I stretched and leaned on the window. "You're going to sleep again, Miss Dakota?" Mr. Kadam asked his eyes adverting to the clock. I nodded, "A girl needs her beauty sleep." Ren chuckled suddenly from the back, "If that's the case, then you'll need to sleep _much_ longer than a couple of hours." Kishan joined in the laughter and I glared at them, "Oh you shut it, Ren, with your femininity. You could easily be mistaken as a woman if someone passed you on the street." I grinned as Ren stared opened mouth at my comeback.

Mr. Kadam looked awfully confused as he drove.

Mr. Kadam gently shook me, making my eyes blink open. "We're here. I'm afraid only the three of you may go." Mr. Kadam gazed back at Ren and Kishan. Ren yawned and opened the car door, staring at the deep jungle. "Is the cave in _there_?" I asked nervously, getting a bit queasy. I stepped out of the car and stared into the deep dark jungle, my heart began to race. "Yes," Mr. Kadam answered and raised a brow. "There are… _bugs_ in there too, right?" I wanted to scream as a large bug buzzed lazily in the air. Mr. Kadam nodded slowly. I swallowed thickly "You know, maybe I could stay inside? Yeah, just until the bugs disappear or something?" Ren laughed at me and practically dragged me closer to the forest  
"Ah, yes, you see that? All forest-like and green and… Oh my god is that a spider? Look, Dakota, _it's a spider!"_

He put his hand to his chest and pointed to a large black and orange spider. I shuddered and ran behind Kishan who happened to be enjoying this whole experience. I wrapped my arms around him "Kill it please. Just, just, kill it. It doesn't need to live anymore. _Don't let it lay eggs!"_ A burst of laughter erupted to the forest as we all collapsed to the floor, uncontrollable giggles escaped my mouth. Eventually I was able to stand as Mr. Kadam handed us the backpacks. "Please stay safe." Mr. Kadam shot the boys a warning glare. "Now, stay clear of Kappa and listen to the boy's instructions. They'll most likely know the best for you." He hugged me tightly before returning to the car.

Trekking through the jungle made my limbs ache like after you'd get a shot. "Don't let it lay eggs." Kishan whispered under his breath, making me and Ren grin. The sun was just starting shine above the trees, and the heat increased ruthlessly. The boys made sure that I drank water almost every five seconds. I told them that I'd be perfectly okay, but they didn't believe anything I would say. Finally after an hour of pushing through dark green ferns and me swatting away giant bugs, we reached a clearing that was fit enough to be a resting place. I collapsed on the forest floor and sighed "I've never been," I closed my eyes "_This_ tired." Kishan immediately began setting up the temporary tent.

I looked at the miniature sized red and white fabric. "It looks kind of… small? How are we all going to fit in there?" Believe me; I had no issue sleeping in a tight tent with _these_ two brothers, but it was hot outside. _Dang nature._ "We'll be resting out here, keeping watch just in case." Kishan responded calmly. "Watch? Watch for what? No one's going to attack us while we're out here." I laughed nervously and gazed over to Ren "Right?" He didn't answer; instead he headed off into the jungle. "Great…" I mumbled under my breath and crawled into the tent.

In only a matter of minutes, we were up and moving again. The heat was finally getting to me; the humidity increased and the sun seemed to beam harder than in Michigan. My body felt like it was going to be set on fire. "You're overheating." Ren said softly, his blue eyes full of concern. "What?" I asked as he pulled something out of his pocket. He grabbed his water bottle and poured it on an unfolded handkerchief. "Here," He handed it to me and I stared blankly at it. "Thanks but I don—" He grabbed it from my hand it pressed it to my forehead. "You talk too much." He growled.


	6. It was black

**Chapter 6: It was black**

We trekked through the forest longer than we should have. I was getting tired, but I wanted to cover as much ground as we could before we slept for the night. It was already beginning to get dark and the trees overhead began to look like menacing looming shadows. At every turn there seemed to be a new obstacle to tackle. Ren and Kishan showed no complaints, most likely because they were superhuman. I shook my head _Over achievers. _I thought hastily.

I absentmindedly hummed to one of my favorite songs, Lithium by Evanescence, as I ducked under a branch. I was longing for my iPod, I loved music with a passion and not listening to it was killing me. Kishan turned and grinned at me, "What are you singing?" My face immediately turned an unflattering shade of red. "Uh, just one of my favorite songs," I shrugged. He chuckled in response and I glared back at him.

Suddenly, Kishan grabbed my arm and pulled me in-between him and Ren. "What's wrong?" I asked, following his gaze. He was staring directly at the murky water no more than one-hundred yards away from us. Not _just_ the water, though. More like something _in_ the water. I squint my eyes to see black heads rising out of the water, almost in sync.

"Kappa." Ren said in almost a whisper.

"Well, don't just stand there," Kishan said with a hurried tone, "Run!" He pushed me in front of him as we ran. We were fast, but the kappa were faster. "They're catching up on us!" I exclaim, my body was beginning to shake with fear. Ren looked behind him, his face turning quite pale.

"They look… different." Ren said; I could tell he was choosing his words very carefully.

"What do you mean?" Kishan snapped harshly, he seemed to be just as frightened as I was.

Ren looked back at them once more; there were at least five of them. "They don't look much like monkeys anymore. More like reptiles… or s_omething_." He said quietly, causing me and Kishan to both gaze behind us. My breath was caught in my throat as I look at the awkward creatures chasing us.

They had pale brown bumpy skin, a long neck slender neck that supported a flat head, a deep green turtle shell, and a rat like tail. Their sharp black shiny beak seemed to be the most frightening. Its webbed toes propelled its long body towards us with each stride.

I gulped as they began to gain ground on us. "We have to split up." I said quickly.

"What?" Kishan said, he looked at me doubtfully. "No, we can't. We have to stick together—"

"Kishan, we'll die if we do! We can't keep running like this. If we all split up they'll get confused."

Kishan went silent for a while, and nodded at Ren. Ren went right, Kishan went left, and I continued to run. One kappa went in Ren's direction while the other went in Kishan's. I glanced behind me to find that there were still _three _there. I cursed under my breath as I began to feel sick from exhaustion.

Zig-zagging, the kappa began to fall back slowly one by one. A rush of relief came over me when they were around 100 meters behind. I slowed down, not purposely. The ground was getting closer and closer to my blurry vision. The air from my lungs was snatched from me.

_SMACK!_

Gazing behind me, I noticed a large rock. _How could I have missed that?_ I lectured myself mentally. I urged my limbs to help me up, but they stayed where they were. I sucked in a breath, noticing that I couldn't move at all. I shook vigorously. I blinked twice, trying to clear my vision from the black spots that began to blind me. I let my drooping eyelids fall much to my displeasure.

The only thing going in my mind was to sleep.


	7. Goddess

**Chapter 7: Goddess **

My eyes slowly peeled open; almost immediately being blinded by a searing light. I winced and shielded my eyes, a piece of light pink fabric brushing against my face. I touched it as my brow creased. _I wasn't wearing this before… _I thought, trying to piece everything together.

I examined myself; I was wearing a light dress. Accented with gold cuffs and jewelry. Picking up the cold metal that heavily hung from my neck; I rubbed it in between my fingers. It was a beautiful golden lotus, but it was closed like flowers did at night. I gingerly let go of it and walked forward shakily. My hair was straight which was abnormal considering that my hair was naturally curly.

I glanced around; I was in a temple. There were four pillars on each side. The yellow-hued structure was covered in hieroglyphs, reminding me of Egypt almost immediately. "Alright, this makes no sense…" I stood, and spun around briefly.

"Over here, my flower." A beautiful voice boomed. I gulped and turned to see someone I thought I'd never see in my life. "D-Durga?" I asked suspiciously. She grinned and held out her hand, "Come to me, my beautiful." Wearily, I approached her and took her hand. "Where am I? Am I dead? Is this heaven? Where's Ren and Ki-"

"Hush, child." She said, laughing softly, it was a reassuring gesture. "Your questions will be answered later, but for now I need to explain to you how to use your abilities." I tilted my head, "My _abilities?_ What do you mean?" I felt like I was showering her with a million questions and felt slightly embarrassed.

She pointed to the necklace dangling from my chest, "That." She said simply. I swallowed as she began, "It will help you communicate with me. It will as well help you summon the elements." She touched the golden flower delicately; it bloomed almost immediately in her hand and glow a soft gold color.

"I'm still confused as to what you mean?" I was beginning to think that I'd gone insane and had dreamt this all up.

"Just trust me, no more questions, okay?"

I nodded fearfully. She grinned once more and spoke again, "I was beginning to think that you were all in more danger than I'd expected," She shook her head, my eyes widening. "Durga… You're scaring me." I murmured, gazing up at her dark eyes. She sighed, "You're dangerous, Dakota." I backed up, confusion consuming the fear.

"Lokesh doesn't _just_ want Kelsey now, my flower." She approached me and pulled my hair behind my ear. "Y-You mean he wants _me?_" My voice shook. She glanced at the ground momentarily before looking me in my eyes, "You're very powerful now. He knew that I had created someone to assist the tiger's on the quest. He also knew that the person I would create would have a power source much more than most." I blinked, soaking this all in.

She nodded towards the necklace, "All you have to do is think of an element. Go on, do it." Almost instantly I began to think of fire. "Okay, I'm thinking of one." I said, closing my eyes. "Great," She turned me to the left so I wasn't aiming at her, "Now look at that pillar in front of you." I did as I was told. "Now, think of lighting it on fire, or it engulfed in flames. Once you do so, hold your hand out and focus on your thoughts." She waited patiently.

Hesitantly, I raised my hand and thought of the pillar being nothing but ash. I focused my thoughts and opening my eyes; my hand was covered in henna. It radiated a fiery red-orange before fire shot out of my hand in the direction of the pillar. The pillar lit in flames. Durga grinned like a proud mother.

"Now, Dakota, you must understand." Durga said, her soft voice was beginning to fade. "You are no longer protected. You now have a large load on you, young one. You're now the protector." My heart seemed to sink. "Do not tell the brothers about your powers yet, you must wait."

"But Durga, when should I?" I began to panic as the picture was fading away.

"You'll know when. Just remember. _Protect them"_

Her voice was now merely an echo as it was replaced by a deep voice repeating my name.

"Dakota, _Dakota!" _Ren exclaimed. I opened my eyes, immediately overjoyed. "_Ren!"_ I clung to him with a sigh, glad to know that I wasn't still stuck in the jungle. My head throbbed, but I ignored it as Durga's words came back into my mind; _'You're their protector.'_


End file.
